On Saturday 4 June RCG comrades were on the streets supporting events called by the Palestine Solidarity Campaign in Nottingham and Birmingham - part of a day of action against Hewlett Packard supplying Israel with technology for its stratified biometric ID systems and naval blockade of Gaza.

Supporters of the RCG in Nottingham joined a demonstration against small racist groups attempting to march in the city centre.

Hundreds of passers-by stopped to show support to the anti-racist mobilisation, and our comrades were able to use a megaphone to explain what was going on to members of the public.

The racists were vastly outnumbered. However, they were protected by the police. The police twice kettle sections of the anti-racist demonstration, at points quite brutally, using dogs, kicking anti-racist protesters, dragging them to the ground and ripping off clothing. Three anti-fascists were arrested and one person now faces charges – a defence campaign is planned.

Meanwhile the racists were granted an escort to the train station in time for their train to another racist mobilisation in Sheffield.

May Day celebrations in Nottingham were marred by the decision of Notts Trades Council to invite Sir Alan Meale, Labour MP for Mansfield since 1987, as the headline speaker at a rally on 5 May. Local activists describe the Socialist Workers Party and the Socialist Party as the main political forces with the Trades Council, and the President as a member of the Alliance for Workers Liberty.

In September 2011, two Nottingham residents, a retired paediatric nurse and a wheelchair user, were arrested following a peaceful protest at the local offices of Atos Healthcare. The Atos Two were subsequently charged with aggravated trespass for having ‘obstructed’ a ‘lawful business’ and ‘intimidated’ staff – although Atos employees struggled to explain how they had been intimidated by the protesters without having to admit that they found disabled people intimidating per se.